Love story: From geographically undesirable to inseparable

Hannah and Matt Brouwer find a connection through common interest in music

ARLENE NISSON LASSIN

Published
6:30 am CST, Sunday, February 6, 2011

Matt and Hannah Brouwer relax on the sofa in their loft apartment in Houston.

Matt and Hannah Brouwer relax on the sofa in their loft apartment in Houston.

Photo: JERRY BAKER

Photo: JERRY BAKER

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Matt and Hannah Brouwer relax on the sofa in their loft apartment in Houston.

Matt and Hannah Brouwer relax on the sofa in their loft apartment in Houston.

Photo: JERRY BAKER

Love story: From geographically undesirable to inseparable

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It was perhaps the ultimate case of being geographically undesirable, at least as far as Matt Brouwer was concerned.

Originally from Canada, Matt was a singer-songwriter and was building his career with a stop in Nashville before moving to Houston in 2003 to become an artist-in-residence at The Woodlands United Methodist Church.

Hannah Ficker's family moved to Guatemala when she was in middle school to run a church-supported medical mission.

Matt first met Hannah when she was only 18, and he went with his church group to volunteer at her parent's medical mission, located in Canilla, in the region of Quiche.

She provided Spanish translation between locals and Matt's band members.

"I thought he was hot and totally had a crush on him, but I thought he was much older and way out of my league," said Hannah, now 26. "He was so down to earth and nice, and we became friends."

"We were in very different places in life, but I was thinking we had a great musical connection — music is such a huge part of my life, and Hannah was so helpful with my using local musicians," Matt said.

Hannah went off to college in Chicago, and Matt saw her again two more times in the summers of 2004 and 2005 when he again traveled with his church group to the Guatemalan mission.

It was on that last trip in 2005 that Hannah and Matt really connected on a deeper level.

"I thought that she was really cool and was thinking to myself if she was ever living even remotely near me that I would be interested," Matt said.

"I didn't know how to read him at all," Hannah said. "Others told me that they thought he liked me."

Hannah's top choice of graduate school was Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and she was accepted to their physician assistant program, which she began in 2007. She went to Matt's church in The Woodlands a few times, and Matt invited her to group events.

Before long they were once again living in separate cities. Matt moved briefly to Los Angeles in 2007, and then Nashville. When he returned to Houston in 2008, he spent a solid year touring the country with his band.

So it wasn't until 2009 when both were in the same place at the same time. Hannah was still in school, and they reconnected through Facebook.

This was the opportunity Matt had waited for.

"We grabbed coffee and talked for three hours and again really connected," Matt said. "I was still living in The Woodlands and Hannah was living near the Medical Center, but I found any excuse possible to get into Houston."

It was obvious they were meant to be with each other, and they started dating seriously.

"The timing was finally right and we were on the same page," Hannah said. "I was finishing up school and Matt was working on a book."

Engaged in April 2010, they were married in Houston in August with all of Hannah's family, including her seven siblings attending.

Matt is continuing his career as a successful contemporary Christian artist, who has won a recent Juno award (Canadian equivalent of a Grammy award), and Hannah is working at MD Anderson as a licensed physician assistant in surgical oncology.

Living downtown in a loft apartment, they are enjoying making beautiful music toget-her.

Arlene Nisson Lassin is a local freelance writer. To nominate a couple for consideration, e-mail lovestories@chron.com.